Raptor class (Klingon)
The Raptor class was a name given to a small Klingon scout vessel in Imperial Defense Force service beginning in the 22nd century, first commissioned around 2130. ( ; ; ) Specifications The Klingon Raptor-class scout ship was a small raiding vessel that first entered service in the 2130s. They were typically employed to patrol the edge of Imperial space and raid alien outposts and ships. ( ) The Raptor class was considered a type of bird-of-prey. ( ) The basic design was similar to the battlecruiser, with a primary hull connected with the engineering hull through a long, narrow neck. A warp nacelle was attached to a wing on either side of the Raptor. Unlike the D5, the Raptor's wings were upswept. At 145 meters in the 22nd century, the ship was shorter than a D5-class battlecruiser. The access hatch was the top-most part of the ship. A disruptor turret sat on top of the main bridge, on the head section. Sensor arrays were mounted to the fore of the wings. The reactor pit was located behind a red grill in the bulge on between the wings. The impulse engines were attached to the aft. ( ) The vessel lacked escape pods. ( ) The Raptor's hull was twice as thick as that of an Earth Starfleet starship, and reinforced with a coherent molecular alloy that enabled it to withstand pressures of up to 15.000 GSC. Although the ship was designed to survive for a maximum of six months without returning to Klingon space, a Raptor-class scout rarely operated far from other Klingon starships. The Raptor had a crew complement of 12. The ship's galley was located on deck four. A targ pit provided live food for the crew. Its bridge design followed the standard Klingon design ethics, with a central command chair facing a forward viewscreen. The bridge could be operated by a minimum of three officers. Main engineering, called the reactor pit, was located one deck below the bridge. ( ) By the 24th century, the ship's length was shortened to 105 meters, the number of decks reduced to three. ( ) History The Raptor-class scout was launched in the 2130s. ( ) The Raptor was named by Vulcans who fell victim to these vessels, which were frequently used by Klingons to raid shipping and exploratory vessels. ( ) The Vulcans' database contained 900 pages of information about his ship type. ( ; ) In 2151, the Raptor-class was one of the first Klingon starship classes encountered by Humans. Earth Starfleet got a good look on Klingon technology when a landing party boarded the derelict and helped save the ship from destruction in a gas giant's atmosphere. It was here that Humans first learned about photon torpedoes. Gradually, the Raptor-class scout was supplanted by the newer , which had a similar mission profile. The Raptor's basic arrangement was reserved for battlecruisers rather than small vessels. ( ) Nevertheless, the class remained in service into the 24th century. ( ) By the early 25th century, the Raptor class had spawned its own starship classification, the raptor escort. The venerable Raptor-class scout was finally succeeded by the raptor escort. ( ) Known vessels * (IKS-127) * (IKS-114) * (IKS-209) * (IKS-284) * (IKS-453) * (IKS-302) * (IKS-312) * (IKS-424) * (IKS-409) * (IKS-162) * (IKS-566) * (IKS-319) * (IKS-155) * (IKS-173, aka IKS SamraH) * (IKS-294) Appendices Connections External links * category:starship classes category:Klingon starship classes category:scout classes category:bird of prey classes Category:23rd century Klingon starships Category:23rd century Klingon starship classes